Joanna Williams has always been a collector (not to be confused with hoarder). Her teenage passion for vintage clothes and magazines—years spent rifling through thrift stores in her hometown of Houston, Texas, not to mention researching designers and cultures—laid the groundwork for what would eventually become her life’s work. She now sources textiles from around the world and sells them exclusively to home and fashion brands like Prada, Nike, Ralph Lauren, Pierre Frey, Apiece Apart, and Anthropologie through her Los Angeles–based company Kneeland Co. (She also maintains a personal collection of about 200 rare textiles.)

A few months ago, Williams decided to share some of her prized pieces with the public for the first time on a part of her website called Rarities—beginning with a set of one-of-a-kind Indian tantric paintings she uncovered on a trip to Delhi and Jaipur. (More on those below.) But unlike most online boutiques selling artisan crafts, it’s not one-click shopping. “I wanted to do it from a different perspective, with things that are not so accessible,” she says. “I set it up so people can inquire via email, learn more about them, and, if they are in L.A., make an appointment to see them."

Of course, not all of us have the eye—or breadth of knowledge—when it comes to spotting the world’s rarest souvenirs. So we can learn from Williams in person when she hosts her first pop-up at a private retail space in Hollywood this weekend. Visitors will have the chance to buy everything from vintage glass perfume bottles from India to hand-painted dishes from Mexico City and Bulgaria. "There’s still nothing that compares to the in-store experience," she says. "It’s impossible to create the same ambience online and express the personality of each object in one thoughtfully edited setting.”

Williams currently takes sourcing trips at least five times a year, mostly to India, Mexico, and Europe. For her textiles and the objets d’art on offer in Rarities, she prefers to go right to the source. “It’s really enlightening and educational for me to learn about the provenance of each item in the place where they are made or from the person who’s had it for a long time,” she says. “It helps me build a story.

Here's the story behind a few of those pieces on sale at the pop-up.

A tantric painting from the 1960s, discovered on a 2016 trip to Delhi.

Courtesy Joanna Williams

Tantra No. 2, India

“Tantric paintings use what are called yantra symbols, or geometric and abstract shapes that are said to represent a higher consciousness. No. 2 is part of a collection of 1960s tantric paintings I found in Delhi and Jaipur in 2016, and it’s incredibly special because it’s rare to see a grid pattern like this. On that trip, I knew I wanted to find some, so I showed an art dealer in Delhi a photo and, just by chance, he had a collection. In Jaipur, I also mentioned it to a store owner, whose friend happened to be selling some. It was all very serendipitous.

"I sat on them for a while because I thought they were so special and didn’t know what to do with them. Then I decided to learn more, and bought every book on the subject and sought out an expert in San Diego. ... They became the first items available in Rarities. I kept six for myself, and there are six more still for sale.”

Hand painted dishes from the small town of Troyan in Bulgaria.

Courtesy Joanna Williams

Troyan pottery, Bulgaria

“These hand-painted dishes are from the small northern Bulgarian town of Troyan, which is the only place in the world where they’re made. The craft dates back to the 19th century. I’ve been told that there is one master craftsman in the city, and he’s taught all of the current artisans. They apply dots of paint as the dishes rotate on a wheel, and then use a small pick to smear the dots together as it turns to create these incredible patterns. The ones I found have more modern patterns, but they’re still made the traditional way. At the pop-up, we’re doing a whole table setting and half of a wall with plates and bowls on display.”

Block-printed napkins sourced in India.

Lindsay George

Block-printed napkins, India

“These are actually new, by the former fashion designer Gregory Parkinson. For about a year now, he’s been creating the most amazing textiles using a technique of double-sided block printing. Gregory refuses to tell anyone where exactly in India they're made. A lot of people who do block-printed textiles base them on traditional florals and paisley, but his are very contemporary—it feels fresh and more modern. They’re definitely for someone who lives to set a table with color."

Williams found a collection of century-old drawings on sheet music in Mexico City.

Courtesy Joanna Williams

Matador drawing, Mexico

“I’m really excited about these drawings I found in Mexico City. The sheet music is from 1910, and the matadors were added in black marker about 10 years ago. I bought them at the Lagunilla flea market directly from the guy who did the drawings. I don’t know his name, and I’m not sure I’d call him a professional artist, but he did show me a book where he’d been featured in this tiny little paragraph. I do know he’s very into matadors—he had a lot of ephemera.”

The Rarities pop-up is open June 15–17, 11–6 p.m. at 5564 Hollywood Blvd. Los Angeles. Browse the full collection at kneelandco.com/rarities..